Count Me In is a collection of poems that, taken together, describe a world in its gritty and beautiful details as observed by a soul looking for God and finding him, tease and trickster that he is. An exploration of life from the perspective of a committed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, these poems do not sugarcoat even as they demonstrate affection for the quirkiness of church culture. Within these pages are themes of longing, a mustering of faith in the face of doubt, regret, and nostalgia. Flies, whales, toothpicks—even Venmo—are all subjects of attentive observation. Overall we see a sense of yearning to be of use in the world. This is a book about singing in the dark, singing both despite and because of the dark. This is a book about hope.

Darlene Young, in addition to publishing in numerous literary magazines, has published two previous collections: Here (BCC Press, 2023), and Homespun and Angel Feathers (BCC Press, 2019), which won the Association for Mormon Letters Award for poetry. She is the recipient of the Smith-Pettit Foundation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mormon Letters and teaches writing at Brigham Young University. She has served as poetry editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and Segullah. Her work has been noted in Best American Essays and nominated for Pushcart Prizes. She lives in South Jordan, Utah.